NHS England has announced today that it will be doubling the size of its Diabetes Prevention Programme, and rolling out a pilot Type 2 diabetes remission programme, inspired by the DiRECT study we funded.

This is really exciting news, and the culmination of many years of hard work by our researchers, fundraisers and supporters of our work from across the UK.

The DiRECT study, led by Professors Mike Lean and Roy Taylor, is being supported by our largest ever research grant.

Chris Askew, our Chief Executive, said:

“The first year results of Diabetes UK DiRECT study showed that – for some people with Type 2 diabetes – an intensive, low-calorie weight loss programme delivered with ongoing support through primary care could put their condition into remission.

“While this ground-breaking study continues to explore how long-lasting these benefits are, we are delighted that NHS England have been inspired by this work to pilot a Type 2 remission programme through the NHS.”

The NHS England pilot, which begins in 2019, will test a Type 2 remission programme for around 5000 people, involving low-calorie diets. While we don’t yet have full details on what exactly this programme will entail, this is an exciting step forward.

We are also delighted to see that the NHS plans to double the size of its Diabetes Prevention Programme, aiming to treat 200,000 people each year moving forward.

Chris Askew also said:

“Plans to double the size of the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme are excellent news. The programme is already the largest of its kind globally, and shows England to be a world leader in this area. The ambition being shown by the NHS needs to be matched across all government policy – we need stronger action on marketing to children, and clearer nutritional labelling to support people to make healthy choices.

“We look forward to working alongside NHS England to shape how both these bold initiatives will work in practice, and seeing the positive impact these decisions will have on the health of those at risk of – or living with – Type 2 diabetes.”

Research we are funding is about to change people’s lives. The hard work of so many people has come to fruition and will tangibly improve the lives of so many people living with, or at risk of, Type 2 diabetes. Get the full story on DiRECT.